1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to improvements in data processing applications in a multiplex communication system and, more particularly, to the use of a digital switch to control the transfer of a phone call and the terminal display information associated with the phone call to another phone and terminal pair.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
The past several years have seen the exploitation of digital switch capabilities, particularly the ability to multiplex voice and data through the switch.
Traditionally, phone systems were used to manage voice communication. Functions such as connecting, transferring and forwarding phone calls became normal features expected in a phone system. The office environment was incomplete without a phone occupying one corner of an employee's desk. The phone became the umbilical cord linking the employee to their clients.
Then, computers arrived on the business scene. Applications such as accounts receivable, accounts payable and inventory control mandated the use of a display terminal to communicate information to the computer applications. Soon, the typical office environment included a display terminal to complement the phone for communicating information to the computer.
Later, as computer applications became more sophisticated and creative, the customer service department recognized the value of the display terminal as a tool and married the telephone with the display terminal to respond to customer requirements. Soon, customer service personnel became accustomed to responding to customer inquiries via a telephone as they entered information into a computer application via a display terminal and exchanged the display terminal information with the customer.
The display terminal also provided a useful repository of information for the employee. For example, a client could call to obtain a current quotation on a stock portfolio. The client might also request prospectus information on other possible investments. The employee could access a host database to acquire the stock information; and, if the client wanted to place an order for additional stock, the employee could transfer the call to a broker. However, the broker would have to access the same information again that the other employee had before him on the display terminal before transferring the call.
While the phone and the display terminal provided a wealth of information, the coordination of the phone and display terminal has not been handled effectively in the prior art. An example of a prior art approach to the problem of transferring phone calls is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,483, to Cheung, issued Sept. 15, 1987. The Cheung system provides a telephone call routing system for routing incoming telephone calls to a plurality of agent display modules. The agent display modules have a list of all phone calls that are waiting to be handled by the particular agent. Each of the agent display modules are monitored to balance the calls to each of the displays. However, there is no display information containing customer information coordinated with any of the calls. Therefore, this prior art approach does not provide the unique functionality that the subject invention provides.
Another prior art approach to data call transfers is found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,535,199and 4,532,377 to Zink, issued Aug. 13, 1985 and July 30, 1985. The Zink system provides for the redirection of established phone calls to remotely located digital terminals. The system allows the transfer of a voice telephone call to a digital terminal to accommodate the transfer of digital information in response to pressing a DATA button on the phone. The system is employed to accommodate the use of a single phone for transferring data and voice. There is no teaching of display terminal use for the display of data in conjunction with the transfer of a phone call.